The Tennessee Title VI Compliance Commission was scheduled to meet in Nashville at the Legislative Plaza on August 7, 2006. No official business could be conducted because the Commission did not have a quorum of members in attendance. The Commission was scheduled to meet in Clarksville in September of 2005. That meeting failed also due to the lack of a quorum.

There were a number of individuals from Clarksville that attended the meeting with high hopes of being able to present issues related to Title VI and hear some possible solutions. Sadly their hopes were dashed because the official meeting had to be canceled.

Pastor Jerry Jerkins of Clarksville, one of the Commissioners that does attend the meetings regularly, voiced his concern with the possibility of submitting his resignation. The Commission Director, Dr. John Birdsong, could not explain why the absent commissioners chose not to attend the meeting. Some of the members present questioned whether or not the Governor was aware of the failure of the Commission. A suggestion was made to have the Commissioners request an audience with the Governor. However, since there was no quorum a motion could not be submitted for a vote.

About Charles Cook

Dr. Charles Cook is the CEO of ADVOK8 Inc. The mission of ADVOK8 Inc. is to provide representation and assistance to individuals in the areas of Title II, VI, VII and the processing of complaints through the Office of Special Council, EEOC, Merit System Protection Board, Federal Labor Relations Authority, Labor Union Grievances, Federal Service Job Classification Appeals and other related Human Resource issues.
Dr. Cook is a member of the Clarksville Human Relations Commission, President of Friends of Clarksville, Member of the Clarksville NAACP, Published Author, Aeromedical Pilot, a Distinguished Toastmaster, Retired US Army Officer, Vietnam Veteran and an Eagle Scout.
Dr. Cook has an Associate Degree from Troy State in Applied Science, A BS Degree from APSU in Public Management, a Masters Degree from The University of Oklahoma in Human Relations, and a Doctorate in Religious Humanities from ULC and an Ordained Minister and Doctorate of Divinity. Dr. Cook has served as the President of the National Federation of Federal Employees in South Korea and the Chief Steward of AFGE Local 2022.
Dr. Cook is married with two adult children and has lived in Clarksville TN for 22 years. He and his wife are co-owners of C-Bees, members of the Clarksville – Montgomery County Beekeepers Association, and Master Gardeners.

One Response to “TN Title VI Compliance Commission Meeting Fails”

It was extremely disheartening to be in attendance at the two meetings Dr. Cook mentions in this post. There were people who had traveled great distances, without any hope of compensation, to register their complaints and seek redress. The repeated failure of the Commission to have a quorum denied these citizens their right of direct appeal to their government. That is a founding principle of our government. Yet, thru bureaucratic missteps and political semantics, the citizens have been effectively blocked from having government address their concerns while wrongful practices continue unchecked and unabated.

Can there really be any wonder why apathy reins rampant in our communities? Why we lose our young people to destructive criminal endeavors? Yet there are those brave few determined souls who continue to press on. They desire to see the elusive American Ideal made real, here in Clarksville, in Tennessee and across these United States. We should pray they succeed, and soon.